4 Backup Strategies for Upgrade

Before you start the upgrade process, you should have a clear understanding of the backup requirements. These requirements vary somewhat, depending upon whether you are upgrading a middle tier, an MDS Repository, or Oracle Identity Management Oracle home.

4.1 Backup Strategies for Middle Tier Upgrades

When you upgrade a middle tier installation, you install the Oracle Fusion Middleware 11g Release 1 (11.1.1) Oracle Application Server Suite, Oracle SOA Suite, or Oracle WebCenter Suite into a new Oracle home directory and then use the Oracle Fusion Middleware Upgrade Assistant to copy your configuration data from the original Oracle Application Server 10g source Oracle home to the new Oracle Fusion Middleware 11g directories.

The upgrade process alters only the 11g Release 1 (11.1.1) destination directories; the source Oracle home is always left unchanged. As a result, there is no need to implement additional or new backup strategies for the source Oracle home, other than those you already use to protect your application server data.

On the other hand, you may want to create a backup of the new 11g Release 1 (11.1.1) destination middle-tier environment before you run the Upgrade Assistant. This backup will allow you to restore to a pre-upgrade (that is, newly installed) state. Restoring from backups is an efficient alternative to reinstalling the entire instance, in the event that upgrade results are unsatisfactory.

A useful 11g Release 1 (11.1.1) backup would include both the Oracle home and any Oracle instances created during or after the 11g Release 1 (11.1.1) installation. You can use the Oracle Fusion Middleware Backup and Recovery software to perform this backup.

4.2 Backup Strategies for Metadata Repository Upgrades

In most cases, when you upgrade the metadata repository, you must first upgrade the database that hosts the repository to a database version supported by Oracle Fusion Middleware 11g Release 1 (11.1.1).

4.2.1 Backing Up the Database Before Upgrading the Database Version

As with any database upgrade, standard procedure dictates that you back up your database before you upgrade to a new database version.

Note that you should also consider backing up the database again, after you have successfully upgraded to a new database version. This way, your backup will reflect the newly upgraded state of the database.

For more information, see the Oracle Database documentation for your platform and database version.

4.2.2 Backing Up the Database Before Upgrading the Schemas in the OracleAS Metadata Repository

Depending upon the Oracle Application Server components you are upgrading, you should be sure to perform a backup of the database before upgrading the component schemas stored in the database.

For some components, the schema upgrade is performed "in-place," which means that the Upgrade Assistant alters the component schemas that exist in the database. It does not create a new copy of the schemas or the data they contain. In an "in-place" upgrade, the schema changes made by the Upgrade Assistant are irreversible.

Before you run the Upgrade Assistant to perform an "in-place" upgrade of the component schemas in the database, you should perform a backup of the database that contains the schemas. This backup will allow you to restore your database to its original state if necessary.

4.2.3 Locating the Oracle Database Backup Documentation

The Oracle database documentation library contains extensive information about database backup features, strategies, and procedures. Refer the documentation library for your database version for more information.

For example:

If you are using 10g Release 2 (10.2), then see the Oracle Database Backup and Recovery Quick Start Guide in the 10g Release 2 (10.2) documentation library.

If you are using Oracle Database 11g, then see the Oracle Database Backup and Recovery User's Guide in the Oracle Database 11g documentation library.

The Oracle Database documentation libraries are available on the Oracle Technology Network (OTN):

4.3 Backup Strategies for Identity Management Upgrades

When you upgrade an Oracle Identity Management installation, you install the Oracle Identity and Access Management Suite into new Oracle home and Oracle instance directories. You then use the Oracle Fusion Middleware Upgrade Assistant to perform two distinct tasks:

During the first part of the upgrade process, the Upgrade Assistant alters only the 11g Release 1 (11.1.1) directories; the source Oracle Identity Management Oracle home is left unchanged. As a result, there is no need to implement additional or new backup strategies for the source Oracle home, other than those you already use to protect your application server data.

4.3.2 Backup Strategies for the Oracle Identity Management Schemas

During the second part of the upgrade process, the Upgrade Assistant upgrades the Oracle Identity Management schemas to 11g Release 1 (11.1.1). This upgrade of the schemas is performed "in place," which means that the Upgrade Assistant alters the Oracle Identity Management schemas that exist in the database. It does not create a new copy of the schemas or the data they contain. The schema changes made by the Upgrade Assistant are irreversible.

As a result, before you run the Upgrade Assistant to upgrade the schemas in the OracleAS Metadata Repository, you should perform a backup of the database that contains the schemas. This backup will allow you to restore your database to its original state before you ran the Upgrade Assistant.

Immediately after you complete the installation of the Oracle Identity and Access Management Suite, and before you run the Oracle Fusion Middleware Upgrade Assistant, you may want to create a backup of the newly installed 11g Release 1 (11.1.1) destination middle-tier environment. This backup will allow you to restore to a pre-upgrade (that is, newly installed) state. Restoring from backups is an efficient alternative to reinstalling the entire instance, in the event that upgrade results are unsatisfactory.

A useful 11g Release 1 (11.1.1) backup would include both the Oracle home and any Oracle instances created during or after the 11g Release 1 (11.1.1) installation. You can use the Oracle Fusion Middleware Backup and Recovery software to perform this backup.

After you have completed and verified the upgrade of your Oracle Fusion Middleware environment, consider backing up your Oracle Fusion Middleware 11g Release 1 (11.1.1) installations so you can easily restore your environment to the newly upgraded state.

In particular, consider backing up the database that hosts your upgraded Oracle Fusion Middleware schemas immediately after the upgrade process. After this initial post-upgrade backup, you can begin your regularly scheduled database backup routine. The initial backup after the upgrade will ensure that you can restore your environment to the newly upgraded 11g Release 1 (11.1.1) state without repeating the upgrade process.

In addition, after you have moved your development or deployment activities to the newly upgraded Oracle Fusion Middleware installations, be sure to modify your regular backup routine to include the new Oracle Fusion Middleware directories, including the Oracle Fusion Middleware Oracle home directories and Oracle instance directories.

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